String holding arrow nock

ABSTRACT

An archery arrow having an improved bowstring-receiving slot. The slot defines a generally nonlinear bowstring-receiving groove to establish limited frictional engagement between the slot defining walls and the bowstring, whereby the arrow is frictionally supported on the bowstring until released when shot from the bow. The slot may be in the shape of an arc of a circle, a &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;V&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; or a chevron.

United States Patent Saunders 1451 Apr. 25, 1972 [541 STRING HOLDING ARROW NOCK 2,245,l87 6 1941 06116511 ...273/l06.5 c 2,484,589 10/1949 Richards.... ...273/l06.5 C lnvenlol'. Charles A. Saunders, BOX CQlUmbUS, M e C Nebr- 3,214,174 10/1965 Saunders ..273/l06.5 c [22] Filed: Feb. 10, 1971 Primary E.\'aminer-Riehard C. Pinkham PP 114,130 AssistantExaminer-Paul E. Shapiro Attorney-Kegan & Berkman [52] U.S. Cl. ..2 73/l06.5 C [51] 1111.01.....'. F4lb 5/02 [57] ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search ..273/106.5 C, 106.5 R An archery arrow having an improved bowstring-receivlng slot. The slot defines a generally nonlinear bowstring-receiv- 5 R f r Cited ing groove to establish limited frictional engagement between the slot defining walls and the bowstring, whereby the arrow is UNlTED STATES PATENTS frictionally supported on the bowstring until released when h l th f f 1,542,762 6/1925 Cole ..273/l06.5 R Z gflj'jmf fijfl flfifj f hem e shap a 1,785,589 12/1930 Mead 2,209,672 7/1940 Boggs ..273/ 106.5 C 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Flgures PATEFITEDAPRZS 1972 3, 658,335

//V 5 IV 70/? CHARLES A. SAUNDERS MM 54% 7? EH 5 STRING HOLDING ARROW NOCK The present invention relates generally an improved archery arrow and, more particularly, to an improved arrow nock.

The prior art dealing with the structure of arrows for archery use is both extensive and varied. From time to time there have been important innovations in arrow shaft construction, fletching arrangements, and arrow tip structures. While arrow nocks which include slots for receiving the bowstring are essential components of archery arrows, the nock structure, and particularly, the form of the bowstring slot has been given relatively little attention, and slotted nocks have remained essentially unchanged over the years.

When utilizing the slotted nocks of the prior art, the retention of an arrow at a rest or ready position on the bowstring has been awkward if not exceedingly difficult due to the fact that the string normally provides no support for the arrow nock to prevent sliding of the nock along the length of the string. While there has long been an interest in eliminating this difficulty, it has at the same time been appreciated that the incorporation of frictional means for supporting the arrow nock on the string gives rise to a different set of problems. For example, any support which the bowstring may impart to the arrow nock against vertical shifting of the nock on the string must be such as not to interfere with the release of the arrow from the string when the arrow is shot. Moreover, any physical forces acting upon or transferred between the bowstring and the arrow at the nock position must be completely symmetrical in order to obviate imparting a rotational or lateral deflection or deviation to the arrow upon its release. It is also necessary that any support established between the arrow nock and the bowstring along a vertical line must preferably not exceed that minimal degree of support which is necessary to accomplish the intended purpose. That is, the interengagement or support provided must have a minimal effect on the ease with which the arrow is released forwardly from the bowstring when discharged from the bow. It is, thus, a principal aim and object of the present invention to obviate the shortcomings of prior art slotted nock structures and to achieve the desirable advantages outlined above.

It' is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved arrownock structure in which the bowstring-receiving slot is nonlinear as it passes transversely through the nock, whereby wall portions of the slot-defining nock releaseably engage the bowstring seated in the slot and provide frictional support for the nock on the bowstring.

It is a related object of the invention to provide in a slotted arrow nock a slot configuration such as to bring the walls which define the slot into holding contact with the bowstring at linearly spaced positions along the bowstring, the contacting of the slot walls with the bowstring being effective to establish a physical distortion in the bowstring from a straightline path.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide in an arrow structure an improved nock having a slot configuration in which the walls defining the slot engage the bowstring at linearly spaced positions, the engagement being more positive as the tension of the bowstring is increased.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an arrow nock in which the slot of the nock is physically shaped to bring the walls defining the slot into positive physical contact with the bowstring at lineal positions of the bowstring symmetrical with respect to an axial center of the arrow shaft.

A related object of the invention is to provide a bowstring gripping arrow nock which is releaseably disengaged from the string upon discharge of the arrow shaft from the bow without transferring any distortional effects or imparting any flight disrupting forces to the arrow upon its release.

A further object of the invention is to provide in an arrow nock a bowstring-gripping slot structure which effects a gripping of the bowstring adequate to support the arrow frictionally on the bowstring but of such a magnitude as not substantially to interfere with any of the trajectory properties of the arrow shaft upon its release from the how.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a bow and arrow as sembly with the arrow nock of the invention engaging the bowstring;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of an arrow showing the arrow nock of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged end elevational view of an arrow nock with a bowstring engaged in the slotted nock of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

The aims and objects of the invention are accomplished by providing in an arrow nock a bowstring-receiving slot which effects an inflection or bend in that segment of the bowstring seated in the slot. Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated is shown as a nock 20 on the end of an arrow shaft 22. The structure of the arrow itself and the mode of attachment of the nock to the arrow shaft form no part of the present invention and, accordingly, no detailed discussion is included herein. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the improved nock of the invention finds utility in and may be applied to any type of arrow shaft. The nock 20 is formed to include a slot 30, it being the particular functional form or shape of this slot which constitutes the essence of the subject invention.

Whereas the conventional, prior art bowstring-receiving slot is bounded by opposed walls which are substantially flat, and whereas in prior art constructions the bowstring when seated within the slot is substantially free of stressed contact with the walls of the slot, it is a most significant feature of the slot of the instant invention that the walls bounding the slot positively engage the seated bowstring to establish actual stressing contact between the slot walls and the bowstring 40 itself. A preferred mode of establishing this securement is achieved, in accordance with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3, by forming the slots 30 to define a curved or arcuate passage as viewed endwise of the arrow shaft 22. Referring further to FIG. 3, the radius of curvature of the slot or the shape of the defining walls of the slot is such that a taut bowstring seated in the slot engages the walls of the slot at three points of the bowstring, the points being spaced longitudinally along the bowstring. As shown, one point of engagement between the arrow nock 20 and the bowstring 40 is the apex 50 of the curved wall surface of one of the walls 54 which bounds the slot 30. On its opposite side and at positions displaced to either side of apex 50 along the length of the bowstring 40, the bowstring contacts the marginal portions 60 and 62 of the concave walls surface defined by the opposite wall which forms the slot 30. The dimensions of the slot 30 as related to the diameter of the bowstring 40, and the shape of the slot are such that a taut bowstring seated in the slot will .be subjected to forces establishing inflections in the bowstring.

That is, wall portions defining the slot will be in stressing abutment against the bowstring at longitudinally spaced positions therealong. The resulting frictional forces established between the walls of the slot and the bowstring will facilitate the selfsupport of the arrow nock on the bowstring.

While, for purposes of disclosure, a specific preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, many changes, modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the contour of the convex wall 54 may be such as to define an angle at its apex and the intersecting walls which form the apex may be planar. The concave wall may also constitute a pair of intersecting planar surfaces. The bowstring slot may be chevron shaped or V-shaped. It will be appreciated from the above disclosure that the essence of the subject invention is the provision of a bowstring-receiving slot in which the slot walls engage one side of the bowstring at at least one point and the opposite side of the bowstring at a position bridging the opposite point. Accordingly, all changes, modifications and variations which will effect the above defined structure are included within the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an arrow including a shaft and a nock, said nock having spaced walls forming an open-ended bowstring-receiving transverse slot in said nock, the improvement wherein said spaced walls of said nock bounding said slot execute a nonlinear course across said nock to establish a bowstring-receiving zone in said nock, opposed said walls including integrally formed projection means directed inwardly into said zone, said projection means being arranged as an alternating array along opposed said side walls to define spaced points of physical abutment between said walls and a bowstring extending through said slot and establishing an inflected line of physical segments in that portion of the bowstring passing through said slot.

whereby, upon engagement of said arrow on said bowstring with said bowstring passing through said slot, said projection means on said walls of said nock frictionally stressingly engage said bowstring and establish therein forces tending to effect therein a distortion from a normally straight line path, thereby releasably to support said arrow nock on the bowstring and to preclude inadvertent disengagement of said arrow nock from said bowstring prior to release of the arrow when the arrow is shot from the bow.

2. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said walls bounding said slot in said nock define an arcuately curved bowstring-receiving groove as viewed endwise of the arrow and in a plane extending transversely of the arrow shaft.

3. The improvement as set forth in claim I wherein said walls bounding said slot in said nock define a generally V- shaped groove in said nock, as viewed endwise of the arrow and in a plane extending generally transversely of the arrow shaft.

4. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of opposed said walls includes at least two projection means operable to engage at linearly spaced positions a bowstring seated in said slot, and wherein the other of said walls includes projection means operable to engage said bowstring at a point intermediate said linearly spaced positions.

* II I I 

1. In an arrow including a shaft and a nock, said nock having spaced walls forming an open-ended bowstring-receiving transverse slot in said nock, the improvement wherein said spaced walls of said nock bounding said slot execute a nonlinear course across said nock to establish a bowstringreceiving zone in said nock, opposed said walls including integrally formed projection means directed inwardly into said zone, said projection means being arranged as an alternating array along opposed said side walls to define spaced points of physical abutment between said walls and a bowstring extending through said slot and establishing an inflected line of physical segments in that portion of the bowstring passing through said slot. whereby, upon engagement of said arrow on said bowstring with said bowstring passing through said slot, said projection means on said walls of said nock frictionally stressingly engage said bowstring and establish therein forces tending to effect therein a distortion from a normally straight line path, thereby releasably to support said arrow nock on the bowstring and to preclude inadvertent disengagement of said arrow nock from said bowstring prior to release of the arrow when the arrow is shot from the bow.
 2. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said walls bounding said slot in said nock define an arcuately curved bowstring-receiving groove as viewed endwise of the arrow and in a plane extending transversely of the arrow shaft.
 3. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said walls bounding said slot in said nock define a generally V-shaped groove in said nock, as viewed endwise of the arrow and in a plane extending generally transversely of the arrow shaft.
 4. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of opposed said walls includes at least two projection means operable to engage at linearly spaced positions a bowstring seated in said slot, and wherein the other of said walls includes projection means operable to engage said bowstring at a point intermediate said linearly spaced positions. 